We have a real treat today. Nordic Marine Instruments (NMI) has a new watch in the making, and I secured a prototype for review. The watch is called Østersøen or, in English, “Baltic Sea,” and as you have already guessed, it is a diver; however, it is no ordinary diver. Sure, the 200m Østersøen tackles all the basic functions needed to survive at sea, but there is more to highlight, much more.
Nordic Marine Instruments is a small brand based in Denmark and founded by Mick Jørgensen, who is known to the watch community as the man behind the microbrand retailer WatchBandit.com. Part of the brand’s ethos is to offer well-crafted designed objects, a theme seen across many Scandinavian brands, not only for watches but in all industries. It seems that clean form with sensible function is something deeply ingrained in the region.
I truly enjoy the Danish approach to watchmaking, as exemplified by NMI’s keen eye for detail. The first thing you notice when you take the watch out of the box is what NMI calls MØRK Finishing, which employs diamond paste to polish the metal and achieve mirror-like surfaces with minimal distortion that appear black at certain angles. As you can imagine, the light plays nicely between the polished and brushed surfaces.
The case measures 40mm wide, 48mm long, and just under 12mm thick. A steel bezel gives a uniform look to the Østersøen, and it moves with firm, precise clicks. I really like the contrast of the brushed case and bracelet links with the Mørk-polished chamfers, particularly that sharp mirror flash inside the lugs. I’ve never seen a design touch like this before. It looks great, highlighting the bracelet while maintaining that all-metal, tool-watch aesthetic. The bracelet construction is excellent. It tapers from 20mm to 16mm at a solidly built clasp with on-the-fly micro-adjustments.
I felt the Østersøen to be a great fit on my 6.25-inch wrist and considerably less cumbersome than many other divers I have tried. This is an ideal watch for everyday wear.
The watch will be available in white, green, light blue, and dark blue. All are shades of the Nordic seas, and all of them are very attractive (you can check them all out on Nordic Marine Instruments’ Instagram page), but white is the one for me. It has one of the nicest white matte surfaces I’ve seen and a striking wave texture that is quiet yet chaotic — just like the sea.
The applied markers perfectly match the trapezoid diamond-cut handset. I often see new brands compromise great designs with rough surfaces, but this is most certainly not the case with the Østersøen, as the markers and hands are just as expertly finished as the case.
You will find only one accent color on the watch, a splash of orange in the model name at 6 o’clock, and the second hand’s tip. It is a restrained approach that works quite well, allowing you to spot those details at a glance without being overwhelming. Overall legibility is excellent, even when the night hits, and the BGW9 SuperLuminova glows like a torch, adding its charming cool blue hue to the Østersøen’s face.
Inside the watch, we find a refined Miyota 90s5 Ultra-thin, so named because the height of this no-date automatic movement is a scant 3.9mm. This is 0.7mm thinner than the Sellita SW200, an impressive feat. This was one of my first encounters with the 90S5. It shares the same familiar architecture as the rest of the Miyota’s 90/91 series and has 24 jewels, a 28.8k bph sweep, and a 42-hour power reserve. I love that Miyota has made such a high-quality, low-profile automatic available and affordable.
The Nordic Marine Instruments Østersøen launches on August 23rd on Kickstarter with a super early bird price of $399 US for the first 300 pieces. The regular MSRP will be $549 US.
I think the Østersøen is an excellent buy. It is brimming with unique details, and its quality and execution will easily match that of watches three times its price. For more, see nordicmarineinstruments.com.
Technical Specifications
- Stainless-steel case
- Lug to Lug 48mm
- Flat sapphire crystal glass
- Automatic Winding
- Diameter 40 mm
- Height 11.9mm
- 20ATM /200meters/660feet WR
- Miyota 90S5 ultra-thin 42 hours of PR
- Bracelet 316L stainless steel, brushed, solid end links
- On-the-fly adjustment buckle
- Lug width 20mm/16mm
